Usually, the results of the test are closely guarded by the league. But the leaks usually relate to low scores. When a guy aces the test, the player and/or his agent will be far more likely to get the word out on their own.

That said, scoring too high can be as much of a problem as scoring too low. Football coaches want to command the locker room. Being smarter than the individual players makes that easier. Having a guy in the locker room who may be smarter than every member of the coaching staff can be viewed as a problem — or at a minimum as a threat to the egos of the men who hope to be able when necessary to outsmart the players, especially when trying in some way to manipulate them.

So while McElroy, who was unable to work out due to injury, may be really smart, he perhaps would have been wise to tank a few of the answers.

UPDATE: And a debate already has emerged regarding the accuracy of the reported number. Along with a debate regarding whether it’s a bad thing to get a high score. The only guy who got a perfect score thinks it hurt him.

45 responses to “Greg McElroy gets a 48 on the Wonderlic”

Wait so we are supposed to believe that a player should aim for an average score somewhere in the middle? That logic doesn’t make any sense. Peyton Manning has always been smarter than any coach on the Colts yet I’d rather have him than any other QB in the league. Sometimes these random insights have no sense or logic to them.

I highly doubt that scoring well on the test can be considered a potential “problem” to the coaching staff. Where did you come up with that? A player can be super intelligent and still loyal to authority.

I understand your position, but it’s foolish to think that a team will view McElroy’s intelligence as a problem. It’s actually a huge bonus to know that he can pick up your system & offense relatively easily, especially if the offseason camps, etc. are going to be minimized.

This is the most ridiculous premise I think I have ever heard. Why wouldn’t coaches want smarter players to make their job easier? Or it could speak to the fact that the premise was deduced by someone who has never been in a locker room.

Come on. If a coach isn’t smart enough to do the job then he should find another line of work. NEVER, at any point in this kids life has he been encouraged to finish in the middle. The QB is arguably the most intellectual position on the field. There’s a big difference between intelligence and insubordination.

“So while McElroy, who was unable to work out due to injury, may be really smart, he perhaps would have been wise to tank a few of the answers.”

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Uhhh….no. You go to the Combine with the intent to perform at your highest level if I’m not mistaken. Tanking answers, cause a few Coaches may not have adequate enough PEN FIFTEENS to feel confident in the locker room around “smart” players, is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.

A bigger
“problem” as far as authority would look to be the best “employees” (players) out earning the “bosses” (HCs) which doesn’t happen much in the real world.
I don’t hear many HCs bitching about how much players make or vice versa. If they can overcome that, I think someone having a great wonderlic isn’t that big of a deal authority wise. Besides they can be very smart but not have the football IQ of a great OC, HC, DC etc. anyway. Truly intelligent people recognize and respect others’ knowledge.

“That said, scoring too high can be as much of a problem as scoring too low. Football coaches want to command the locker room. Being smarter than the individual players makes that easier. Having a guy in the locker room who may be smarter than every member of the coaching staff can be viewed as a problem ”

Wow, thinking outside the box a little too much on this one… clearly your wonderlic score would give a head coach some job security.

Are you seriously teling us that a player should be worried about scoring TOO high?? Can you get one coach or draft day analyst who would agree with that statement??? Might as well state that coaches don’t want players who are faster / stronger / better football players than they are. C’MON Mike…

I agree to agree. Exactly the type of player TT and MM look for. They will turn him into a 2nd or 3rd rounder. Just like they will do with Flynn. Good to see GB back to their old ways in picking a QB late, developing them, and trading them for higher picks.

Extremely high intelligence can actually be a liability in some employment situations, but QB of a professional football team is not one of those situations. What a ridiculous notion.

However, the OP presumes that the Wonderlic measures intelligence. That is not correct. It measures problem-solving aptitude, and does not require skills above what one is supposed to have learned at the secondary (high school) level.

I worked at a dealership where the FOM (fixed operations mgr.) ran the show. He fired anyone he suspected of being smarter than himself, including me. The place went bankrupt within two years. That kind of thinking would have the same results for a football team.

dryzzt23 says:
Feb 28, 2011 9:52 AM
Ok so if a player is smartthat’s a problem?

A smart player knows not to do stupid off-the -field activities so as to maximize his earnings potential and NFL longevity

I have yet to see Vince Young do anything worthy of note in the NFL and he scored a 9 or 10
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First of all, VY has won a lot of games and has been a Pro Bowler, so you’re just not watching TV.

Second of all, he had an agent who didn’t arrange for Wonderlic prep, which is something every agent worth a damn is supposed to do.

Third of all, his original attempt was incorrectly administered. This reportedly involved a proctor who tried to hold a conversation with him about the Rose Bowl during the 12min. VY was supposed to be taking the exam.

[i]Having a guy in the locker room who may be smarter than every member of the coaching staff can be viewed as a problem — or at a minimum as a threat to the egos of the men who hope to be able when necessary to outsmart the players, especially when trying in some way to manipulate them.[/i]-MF

[i]And to back up such a statement I offer up not one ounce of proof. [/i]

I had to take a wonderlic a few years back for a job I applied for…unfortunately, I scored high on it and it was part of the reason they found me to be “over qualified”. Literally, the guy said “you should have flubbed that test a little”. So, I can see the theory behind scoring too high being a negative…but I find it to be an insanely ignorant theory!

“That said, scoring too high can be as much of a problem as scoring too low. Football coaches want to command the locker room. Being smarter than the individual players makes that easier. Having a guy in the locker room who may be smarter than every member of the coaching staff can be viewed as a problem — or at a minimum as a threat to the egos of the men who hope to be able when necessary to outsmart the players, especially when trying in some way to manipulate them.”

This isn’t a problem as long as you have a genius of a coach like Belichick running things. Hail Hoodie!

burntorangehorn says:
Feb 28, 2011 11:11 AM
dryzzt23 says:
Feb 28, 2011 9:52 AM
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First of all, VY has won a lot of games and has been a Pro Bowler, so you’re just not watching TV.

Second of all, he had an agent who didn’t arrange for Wonderlic prep, which is something every agent worth a damn is supposed to do.

Third of all, his original attempt was incorrectly administered. This reportedly involved a proctor who tried to hold a conversation with him about the Rose Bowl during the 12min. VY was supposed to be taking the exam.

___________________________

If I remember correctly, that score of 9 was on his retest. He scored even lower his first time. The fact is that he has done nothing to discredit the low score that he received. He won a few games, yes. But what has that gotten the Titans? Were those games enough to warrant his high draft pick and high wage. I’d say not.

Great call, Mike. There’s a lot of research that shows that bosses don’t want someone who can think more complexly than they do because, like you said, the team will look to him for leadership. I think most people don’t get how big a difference this shows between McElroy and the average QB, who is usually pretty smart. He’s probably screwed.